Human skin contains millions of nerve endings called corpuscles that can sense a wide range of stimuli. For example, each square centimeter of skin has 3.5 million pain-sensing corpuscles, 500,000 of which are used for touch, 250,000 for cold, and 30,000 for heat. This is the interface for interacting with the outside world. But there are other very efficient animals in the animal kingdom. sensor, like the whiskers of a seal.These hairs make it possible to detect very subtle movements in the water to track fish. robot haptics.
I have already covered some Innovation intended to provide robot and prosthesis artificial skinThis technique helps to see the pressure the machine is exerting on a particular material. But what intrigued Jonathan Rieder was the use of synthetic hair to improve sensitivity. Eric Jonson School of Engineering and Computer ScienceHis research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Walter Voight (University of Texas), advanced materials indicates the possibility of Electronic whisker technology Exceeds the sensitivity of human skin.
Their prototype is based on an array of laser-cut wires made of a shape memory polymer and coated with a highly conductive gold layer. At the end of each wire, which measures the width of a human hair, there is also a microsensor that can measure tension. The shape memory of the polymer makes it flexible when exposed to heat, so it floats when hot air is blown over it.this innovative technology Variables such as pressure, stiffness, proximity and temperature can be measured with the highest accuracy. In fact, hair responds to slight pressure in less than 250 microseconds.
of electronic beard devised by Reeder and Voit, can also react to friction, mapping a texture when the surface is rubbed, and distinguishing levels of its roughness. Along with this property, it is also possible to establish the stiffness of a surface when pressed against it by sensing the resistance offered by the material. Finally, they can distinguish temperature oscillations in very small areas.
The road to highly sensitive prostheses
In the long run, the goal is robot It interacts with the environment in a much more precise way without damaging the objects it manages or harming humans. Until now, the techniques employed have only been able to detect changes in pressure in relatively rudimentary ways.
Furthermore, the researchers behind this robot technology They say their technology will not only improve the sensitivity of robots, but one day also improve the sensitivity of human prosthetics, surpassing the properties of natural skin.
Nevertheless, the main obstacle to this leap lies in the need to “translate” the electrical signals of these sensors into the language of the human nervous system.
sauce: University of Texas
